Moving with children can be quite difficult, regardless of their age, that’s why it’s important to monitor their feelings and concerns during the move. Smaller children usually between the ages of two and four years old, seem to have their own set of needs which differ from those needs of older kids. To assist in making this move easier and smoother for all people in your home, you just want to make sure their special needs are considered during this move.
Mom, don’t forget about me! Little kids in this age group express that their main concern is a fear of being abandoned, or left behind. This is something new for them and can be scary for them to see their parents packing up the entire house. Without proper communication, there might be a fear that you will forget them when you leave. In order to alleviate any of those false fears, there are some practical steps you can take.
Getting your kids active in the move. When you tour open houses in the new neighborhood which you are considering moving into, allow your children to come with you if possible. Allow them to go through the house and look at all of the new bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens, and other rooms to see how they enjoy the house. This will assist your children in feeling a lot more comfortable with the entire process of moving and it will help them to feel a part of the process as well.
Communicate with them. If possible talk with your children during a non-stressful time. Communicate to them exactly what you’re doing where you’re going and when you will be back. If you’re going to an entirely different city, province, or country why not bring back some unique toy for your children from that place. Children really enjoy getting toys with the new name of the place that they’re going to live on it. They’ll be really excited at this stage to show it to their friends and they’ll begin to become comfortable with the idea of moving.
Discuss their feelings. Allowing your children to express how they feel about the move will reduce stress. Discuss all of the exciting things that will happen. Talk to them about all the interesting places around the new town that they’ll be able to visit and all the new and exciting activities that we able to participate in. After you get to the new city, drive them to those areas that you discussed. Focusing on the positive elements of your move, but also making sure to spend time discussing their fears and concerns, will reduce the stress that they feel. This is because you are allowing them to express themselves which makes them feel understood and cared for.
Getting your kids involved with jobs for the move. Instinctively at this age, parents want to do everything for their small children. One of the reasons is that they feel the children will not be able to do a good job. However, there are many things that children can do to assist in the move which doesn’t involve any danger to things getting broken. Ask your children to box up all of their own toys and all of their own clothes into boxes. If they are able to spell, have them write their own names on the boxes. If they are not able to spell, then have them draw pictures on their boxes and you will know which ones are theirs. Asking your children to help with these activities will really make them feel that they are a big movers and a part of everything that’s going on.
Driving trips can be long. If you’re relocating across the country or having to drive any type of distance that requires you to spend a good deal of time in your car, it’s good to understand that kids of this age become very antsy. Kids don’t enjoy sitting for long periods of time and will become very frustrated and bored quite quickly. In order to get around some of the boredom that they might feel during the trip it might be very much more enjoyable if you were to bring along some games for them to play. Kids also love doing things like coloring books or doing puzzles in the car if they’re not too complicated. You can also do things like play a game of I spy, or punch buggy. All you need to do is just to make sure that you have plenty of things to keep them distracted to hold their attention during the trip.
Pull over at the rest stops. Also since you’re driving a long way you also want to make sure that you’re stopping frequently. It’s recommended that you rest at least each hour. Give kids a few moments to step out of the car walk around so they can stretch their legs and get some fresh air. This is also an ideal time for bathroom breaks or getting snacks.
Moving can be a difficult time for each member of your family, but this is especially true for kids who can’t quite understand everything that is happening. By taking care of a few simple things, you’ll be able to turn something potentially stressful into something fun, easy and enjoyable believe it or not.
